News: Astronomy

Read the latest news from the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin

McDonald Observatory

Discovery of Ultra-Massive Galaxies May Not Rewrite Cosmology, But Still Leaves Questions

Based on the most widely accepted cosmological model, they shouldn’t have been able to evolve until much later in the history of the Universe.

A field of stars and galaxies in deep space

McDonald Observatory

LightSound Workshops Make April’s Eclipse More Accessible to Visually Impaired

As the moon eclipses the sun during a solar eclipse the sunlight begins to dim and the LightSound device outputs a change in musical tone.

A person holds a soldering iron above an electronic circuit board

UT News

UT Austin’s Top Research Stories of 2023

From a brain decoder to a supermassive black hole to a cancer drug advance, College of Natural Sciences researchers made breakthroughs this year.

A dense field of galaxies set against a black background of space

Research

Ghostlike Dusty Galaxy Reappears in James Webb Space Telescope Image

Astronomers with the COSMOS-Web collaboration have identified the object AzTECC71 as a dusty star-forming galaxy.

A diffuse red patch emerges from the center of an inky black background

Research

Discovery of Planet Too Big for Its Sun Throws Off Models of Solar System Formation

Brendan Bowler, Bill Cochran and others discovered a planet that's much more massive compared to its host star than Earth is to our sun.

A red star rises over a purple planet and casts a reflection on its surface

McDonald Observatory

The Giant Magellan Telescope’s Final Mirror Fabrication Begins

Together, the mirrors will collect more light than any other telescope in existence, allowing humanity to unlock the secrets of the Universe.

A large round flat pile of glass pieces

Announcements

Department of Energy Advances Research and Education at Wootton Center for Astrophysical Plasma Properties

Grant will help center led by Don Winget continue its research and train the next generation of scientists.

Room full of scientific equipment glowing blue and purple

Announcements

McDonald Observatory Invites Ecological Research as a Texas Field Station

The observatory joins a network of six University of Texas sites dedicated to scientific research, environmental monitoring and conservation efforts.

Two telescope domes sit atop a mountain with more peaks in the distance

Research

Astronomers Confirm Maisie’s Galaxy is Among Earliest Ever Observed

Detected with the James Webb Space Telescope, Maisie’s galaxy was observed 390 million years after the Big Bang.

An orange-red blob in the center of a black background

Research

Chemical Cartography Reveals the Milky Way’s Spiral Arms

The method overcomes the challenges of dust that block the view of some of the Milky Way's stars.

A spiral galaxy floats in the black background of space with red and blue dots sprinkled over one section